Box-car door



0. FROMAN AND W. A-. WILMOTH.

BOX CAR DOOR.

. APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1921. v 1&24, 1 2. Pat nt d Aug- 8, 1922.

r' l I I l I j 4 TTOR/VEYS 0. FROMAN AND W: A. WILMOTH.

BOX CAR DQQR. APPLICATION FILED APR.-2.J;921.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

BOX-CAR DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 d, 1922.

Application filed April 2, 1921. Serial No. 457,882.

T 0 all to 710m it may concern:

Be it known that we, Oscar FaouAN and /VARREN ARTHUR lViLMoTH, citizensof the United States and residents of Edna, in the county of Labette andState of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBox-Car Doors, of which lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to doors especially adapted for use on grain carsand the like.

an important object of this invention is to provide a grain car doorhaving a plurality of sections which may be placed in position as thecar is loaded and which when in position absolutely prevent the escapeof grain or the like.

The invention "forming the subject matter oi this application aims alsoto provide a grain car door having novel means whereby grain may bedischarged when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car door which iseflicient, simple to operate and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent during the course ofthe following description. I

In tie accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the grain car equipped withthe improved door.

Figure through the car, the view doors in position.

Figure 3 is a similar view 2 is a detailed sectional view illustratingthe through the car, the view illustrating the means for supporting thedoor when not in use.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of one of: the sections of thedoor, the same being provided with means whereby grain or the like maybe discharged without removingthe section.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective of one or the sections of thedoor.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one member oi a'locking deviceembodied in the invention.

Figure combined the door.

Figure 8 is also a perspective of one of the combined retaining membersand stop elements for limiting the movement oi? the door.

7 is a perspective of one of the guides and retaining members for thefol- .125 13 and lt preferably formed from sheet metal possessed ofsufficient stoutness to withstand the pressure of the grain or othermaterial carried in the car.

The upper longitudinal edge of each section with the exception of theuppermost section is provided with a-rein'iorcing angle bar having alaterally projecting flange 16 and a second flange 17 secured flatly incontact with the section and extending above the same for a shortdistance to define a key adapted for fitting within a recess or groovewithin the adjacent section.

its illustrated in Figure 11 the door section immediately above thesection having the transversely extending reinforcing member or anglebar is provided with a reinforcmg bar generally designated by thenumeral 18 and which includes a Hat attaching base or flange 19 arrangedin spaced relation to the door section to which it is attached by meansoi? a spacing strip 20. The lower longitudinal edge portion of thebase19 extends beyond'the lower end of the spacing strip 20 so as tocooperate with the lower end portion of the door section to which it isattached in forming a groove or recess 21 adapted for snugly receivingthe key formed by the flange 17; By reason of this construction, anabsolutely grain tight connection is provided between the adjacent edgesof the door sections when the door is in the position illustrated inFigure 2. It is understood of course that such a connection is providedonly between the opposite edges ofthe sections 13 and the adjacent edgesof the secions 12 and let. It is thus apparent thatthe longitudinallyextending angle bars provide a grain tight connection between thesections of the door as well asstrengthening andreintorcing the sectionsof the door.

The lower longitudinal edge of the door section 14 is provided With alongitudinally extending angle bar 24 having its lower edge flush withthe lower edge of the section 13 so that the lower edge of the door 14will snugly engage the bottom of the car for effectively preventing theescape of grain. The ends of all the door sections are also providedwith angle bars 26 having outwardly directed flanges which are securelyengaged with the upstanding posts 27 on opposite sides of the door frameby means to be later described.

The lower door section 14 is provided with an elongated opening 28through which 1 grain or the like may be discharged when to l it isdesired to empty the car.

As illustrated in Figure 4, a sheet metal gate or closure 29 which is ofa greater area than the opening 28 contacts with the portions of thedoor section 14 about the opening. The gate 29 is swingingly supportedon the outside of the section 14 by means of hinge pins 30 which extendthrough the out- I wardly directed flanges of a pair of angle bars 31arranged at opposite ends of the gate. The hinge pins 30 are carried bythe outwardly directed flanges of reinforcing angle bars 32 extendingtransversely along the ends of the gate 29 and riveted or otherwisesecured to the same. NVhen the gate 29 is swung downwardly to close theopening 28, the outwardly directed flanges of the angle bars 32 arefirmly in contact with the outwardly directed flanges of the relativelystationary anglebar 31 so as to securely hold the gate in position andprevent end- Wise movement of the same. The intermediate portion of thegate 29 is reinforced by a longitudinally extending angle bar 36 havingits ends secured to the adjacent flanges of the angle bars 32.

Vt hen the swinging gate 29 is arranged in the closed position a lockbar is extended across the lower longitudinal edge portion of the sameso as to firmly hold the same in position. One end of the lock bar ispivotally connected to a hinge member 35 swinging y connected to astaple designated by the numeral 36. The hinge member is formed from apiece of angle ironhaving one of its flanges bent upon itself andsecurely connected to the other portion of the flange by means of a pin37. The adjacent end of the lock bar 34 which is formed from angle ironhas its flanges bent firmly into contact with each other and receivedbetween the sides of the hinge member 35. Vfhen the gate 29is opened,the lock bar 34 may be swungupwardly and engaged with a locking loop 38secured to one side of the door opening 11.

The opposite or free end of the locking bar 34 is adapted to be engagedwith or brought into overlapping relation with a 00- operating lock bar39 which is swingingly connected to the stationary portion of the doorsection 14. The cooperating lock bar which is formed from angle iron hasone of its flanges bent upon itself to form a hinge 40 and a keeper 41adapted for engaging the front side of the lock bar. In other words, thefree end portion of the lock bar 34 is received between the upstandingflange of the lock bar 39 and the keeper 41 so that opening of the dooris prevented. The free end portion of the locking bar 34 also has itsflanges arranged firmly in contact with each other so that the same maybe readily received between the keeper 41 and the upstanding flange ofthe lock bar 39;

When the lock bar 34 is swung across the bottom of the gate asillustrated in Figure 1, a locking pin 43 carried by the intermediateportion of the same is received within a hole formed in the intermediateportion of the reinforcing flange 24. .A cotter key or other retainingelement 44 may now be passed through an opening in the terminal portionof the locking pin 43 so as to prevent the accidental upward movement ofthe lock bar 34. It will be observed that the terminal portion of thelocking pin 43 is pointed so that the same is guided through the openingformed in the laterally projecting flange of the angle bar 24.

v ith reference to Figures 2 and 3 it will be observed that the sections12, 13 and 14 are securely held in position across the opening 11 bymeans of combined stop and guide elements 48 which are formed from angleiron and are. secured by means ofbolts 49 having suitable nuts threadedthereon. The bolts are preferably mutilated so that the loss of the nuton the same is prevented. l hen the door sections are moved intoposition the terminal portions of the same are confined between theflanges of the combined stop elements and keepers and one of the posts27.

A. plurality of guide bars 52 are secured to the other post 27 by meansof bolts 53 which extend through the overlapped terminal portions of thebars. When the sections 12, 13 and 14 are extended across the dooropening, the nuts on the bolts 49 and 53 are tightened so as to draw themembers 48 and 52 firmly into engagement with the terminal portions ofthe door sections soas to hold the door sections firmly in position.Then it is desired to remove the door sections, the nuts on the bolts 49and 53 may be loosened so as to permit the door sections to move ontotracks 55 which are as illustrated in Figure 9 of shallowv formation.The outer portions of the tracks 55 are formed with upwardly extendingstops 56 to limit the sliding movements of the door sections.

The outer portions of the tracks 55 are supported by means of avertically arranged standard or post 58 secured to one side bar by meansof bolts 59. The outer portions of the tracks rest upon the shanks ofthe bolts.

With reference to the foregoing description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings it will be apparent that the door constructed inaccordance with this invention may be used a number times and may bereadily placed in position. When it is desired to unload the car, theswinging gate 29 may be readily released so as to permit grain or thelike carried in the car to be discharged.

When the car is in motion, the grain is etitectively prevented fromescape by reason or? the fact that the several sections of the door aresecurely joined and by reason of the peculiar fastening devices for theswinging gate 29.

as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the guide members 55 are formed withopenings through which the grain may be discharged as the door is pushedback.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is 1- l. Thecombination with a body, of a gate horizontally hinged thereto, a hingeconnected to the body for swinging movement about a vertical axis, agate locking bar of angle iron horizontally pivoted to said hinge, and akeeper vertically pivoted to said body and having means overlapping andengaging the terminal portion of said lock bar, and also engaging saidgate.

2. The combination with a body, of a gate horizontally hinged thereto, ahinge connected to the body for swinging movement about a vertical axis,a gate locking bar of angle iron horizontally pivoted to said hinge, akeeper vertically pivoted to said body and having means overlapping andengaging the terminal portion of said lock bar, and also engaging saidgate, and a pin carried by the intermediate portion of said lock bar andadapted to engage said body, whereby to hold the gate in closedposition.

3. The combination with a body, of a gate horizontally hinged thereto, ahinge connected to the body for swinging movement about a vertical axis,a gate locking bar or" angle iron horizontally pivoted to said hinge, akeeper vertically pivoted to said body and having means overlapping andengaging the terminal portion of said lock bar, and also engaging saidgate, a pin carried by the intermediate portion oi said lock bar andadapted to engage said body, whereby to hold the gate in closedposition, said keeper being formed from a single piece of metal bentintermediate its ends to form a hinge member and a pair of spaced sidesbetween which one terminal portion of the lock bar is adapted to bearranged.

l. The combination with a lock bar, of means supporting the same forswinging movement, and a keeper formed from a single length of metalbent intermediate its ends to form a hinge member and a pair of spacedparallel sides between which one terminal portion of the lock bar isadapted to be arranged, the lower end of one of said sides of the keeperis extended laterally and engaged with the other side of the keeperwhereby to limit the downward movement of the look bar.

5. The combination with a lock bar, of means supporting the same. forswinging movement, and a keeper formed from a single length of metalbent intermediate its ends to form a hinge member and a pair of spacedparallel sides between which one terminal portion of the lock bar isadapted to be arranged, the lower end of one of said sides oi" thekeeper is extended laterally and engaged with the other side of thekeeper whereby to limit the downward movement oi the lock bar, and meanspivotally supporting said keeper.

OSCAR F ROMAN. WARREN ARTHUR WILMOTH.

